The firemen came and broke through the chimney top. And me and Mom were expecting them to pull out a dead cat or a bird. And instead they pulled out my father. He was dressed in a Santa Claus suit. He'd been climbing down the chimney... his arms loaded with presents. He was gonna surprise us. He slipped and broke his neck. He died instantly. And that's how I found out there was no Santa Claus.

having done my time in a linux help channel, and then spending 2 1/2 years answering a phone at a help desk, i can see both sides rather clearly. i mean, asking a question isn't a bad thing. and it's generally no problem to help someone out with a tough topic. however, the fine manual is there for a reason - as is google. and asking a question prior to at least looking for documentation is like saying, "hey, my time is worth more than yours."

that kind of backhanded implication often irks those who have read the manual, resulting in the ululations and screams of RTFM that often accompany something otherwise simply answered. i've found that, at least in the unix/linux community, oftentimes the best way to receive information without the contempt of angry hordes is to preempt their initial response, and ask, "where the fuck is the manual?"

If carpenters made buildings the way programmers make programs, the first woodpecker to come along would destroy all of civilization.  Anonymous